Halfords bike faulty - what are my rights?

Okell

I seem to recall that @Alderbank knows a lot about cycle to work scheme.  They might be able to advise better than most people

Aylesbury_Duck

javixeneize said:

sorry if I didn’t explain properly, I’m not a native English speaker.

This surprised me.  Your English is excellent.  Better than much of the incoherent and error-ridden drivel indigenous Britons bash out on the internet with what I can only imagine are boxing gloves.

Ergates

javixeneize said:

This one is not… no, and the clamp is slightly more complex than that too 

can we focus on the right matter please?

thabks 

Do you have/could you take a picture of the clamp at the top of the seat post?

Your best bet might be to circumvent Halfords and take your bike to a competent bike repair shop and ask if they can fix it.  Even if there isn't an "official" solution, they might be able to jury-rig something.

javixeneize

That’s the clamp picture. I took it to several LBS and all of them had the same answer, this needs to go to Boardman 

Aylesbury_Duck

javixeneize said:

That’s the clamp picture. I took it to several LBS and all of them had the same answer, this needs to go to Boardman 

Yes, I can see why LBSs would be reluctant to fiddle with that.  If you have a small engineering business nearby, they might be able to fashion a "converter" of some sort, where a standard seat post could be welded to a sawn-off bottom of the existing one.  The trouble is, that would invalidate any warranty and you'd have to trust the integrity of what is a safety-crucial component.

I think it needs to go to Boardman, but as advised earlier, you'll need to take it up with your employer because they're the customer here.  I don't think there's a solution that fits what you want.  If there is an inherent design flaw, the only route is a return of the bike, which will involve unwinding the scheme and will probably lead to a depreciated refund.  Complicated, especially with the tax implications, but your employer has an obligation to sort it out.

Okell

@javixeneize -  have you tried asking for advice on specialist bike forums like Bikes & Bits – Technical section - Cycling UK Forum ?

Are you saying that it's the saddle clamp on the seat post that keeps failing, but that you can't get a different seat post/saddle clamp combination that would be compatible with your Boardman frame?  To be honest I find that a bit difficult to believe but I presume that what Halfords and other local bike shops have told you must be right.  However, if I were you I'd ask in other places like the forum I suggest above.

None of this changes the fact that if you got the bike through the cycle to work scheme then you have no rights against Halfords at all because you aren't a consumer for the purposes of the legislation.  Your employer has bought the bike from Halfords and legally speaking it's your employer's problem to sort out with Halfords.  What rights - if any - you have are against your employer, and your rights will be defined in the agreement with your employer.

There's nothing to stop you looking for and researching solutions yourself, but you ought to be putting those solutions to your employer.  The problem with cycle to work is that because it's a tax scheme it gets very complicated when things go wrong.  I looked at getting a new bike through cycle to work but i binned the idea because I didn't like the small print.

javixeneize

Thanks. What I am after is about my customer rights, not about the tech solution for the bike, I have already explored that and there’s no simple way to fix it

I will speak with c2w and my employer on mondsy

Thanks

MattMattMattUK

javixeneize said:

Thanks. What I am after is about my customer rights, not about the tech solution for the bike, I have already explored that and there’s no simple way to fix it

I will speak with c2w and my employer on mondsy

Thanks

Unfortunately you do not have any, as this is not a consumer purchase. C2W is a rental scheme between you and your employer and is covered by the terms of that rental agreement. There should be a section on issues with the bike where it sets out how they will be resolved. 

Lorian

I can't help with the consumer rights but loctite blue would likely fix your issue.

Ergates

javixeneize said:

Thanks. What I am after is about my customer rights, not about the tech solution for the bike, I have already explored that and there’s no simple way to fix it

I will speak with c2w and my employer on mondsy

Thanks

You don't have any - which is why we're suggesting alternative technical solutions.